Entertainment Blogs

An online journal about visual art, the urban landscape and design. Mary Louise Schumacher, the Journal Sentinel's art and architecture critic, leads the discussion and a community of writers contribute to the dialogue.

Art critics call on MAM for dialogue about China

UPDATED: It will be interesting to see if the Milwaukee Art Museum responds to the growing consensus about becoming a center for dialogue about the Chinese crackdown of artists, particularly the recent imprisonment of China's most famous living artist Ai Weiwei, during its "Summer of China."

As I wrote last week, MAM is about to open an art historically significant show that was organized in direct cooperation with China at a time when that nation is actively suppressing creative expression. No other museum is in this position. This creates a unique opportunity and obligation to address China's contradictory approaches to sharing culture -- opening doors for cultural exchange when it comes to the past while cracking down on contemporary voices.

The Art City analysis of the issues, which included several art world perspectives, has sparked other critics to join the dialogue.

Hyperallergic quotes from the Art City analysis in a piece that provides some important updates on the Ai case, compares the MAM predicament to others and calls the Art City essay "the most definitive look at the conflicts U.S. museums face:"

"I don’t think the planned show should be canceled, but I do agree with Schumacher’s note that there’s room in the museum’s event programming schedule for talk about Ai’s predicament, including panels with Chinese art world figures and other lectures," concludes Hyperallergic's Kyle Chayka. "That’s where politics and critique should come in with a show that’s already been planned (and paid for) pre-arrest. The Palace Museum is not the enemy...The article speaks to the complexity of dealing with a country whose government seems intent on interfering with the art community, even while the Chinese art community has nothing to do with those political policies."

At Real Clear Arts, a blog hosted by ArtsJournal, Judith H. Dobrzynski calls the Art City essay "scrupulously fair" and agrees that MAM should not let its "Summer of China" pass without an airing of Ai's case:

"MAM doesn't have to join the protest, but it should provide some forum, some panel, some context, about dissent in China and about Ai's case. Otherwise, the 'Summer of China' will look like propaganda, whether it is or not."

Lee Rosenbaum of CultureGrrl, also at ArtsJournal, also agreed and shared insights about the Metropolitan Museum's stance on the issue gleaned from a recent conversation with Maxwell Hearn, who will soon become the head of the Met's Asian department.

"American art museums cannot in good conscience take a see-no-evil approach to the detention of one of China's most celebrated artists, which was very belatedly and inadequately explained by the Chinese authorities and has been characterized by complete lack of due process, even under China's own legal standards," Rosenbaum wrote. "Saying that the situation is 'complex' and that speaking out against injustice could backfire is simply playing by China's rules. This craven deference to totalitarian sensibilities is contrary to the mission of cultural institutions to champion artists and freedom of expression."

Jen Graves, art critic for The Stranger chimed in with agreement as well, responding sharply to comments made by Greater Milwaukee Committee president Julia Taylor about America dictating its values elsewhere:

"So, a culture can beat, silence, and jail its citizens with impunity, as long as it's old? And if an art museum cuts itself off from having a social role, what use is it? A place for expensive stuff? (Why are people who promote tourism so often amoralists?)"

Tyler Green of Modern Art Notes at Artinfo also drew attention to the Art City coverage and tied it to his own previous questioning of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, which is also entering into a partnership with China.

The Association of Art of Art Museum Curators posted it to their site for discussion and Enfilade, the online journal for a society of art historians specializing in 18th century art and architecture, an affiliate of the College Art Association, also looked at the ethical questions raised in the piece.

"Probably more complicated than articulating an ethical code for (academic art historians) is doing so for museum practices....though it seems that new dilemmas often call for new responses."

Links to the article were also tweeted by ARTnews and other ars journalists and activists interested in Ai Weiwei's case.

Former Milwaukee artist William Anderson, who has been creating work related to China and the sale of Wisconsin-based companies (i.e. Milwaukee Electric Tool) to China, is trying to organize an alternate exhibit or panel discussion in Milwaukee.

The comments at Art City have also been thoughtful and insightful. One of the issues raised by several commenters is whether I, as the art critic at the daily newspaper in Milwaukee, also have an obligation to foster dialogue during the citywide "Summer of China." I believe I do have a role to play in creating a platform for various forms of dialogue.

I have considered, for instance, sharing daily excerpts from Ai Weiwei's blog during the course of MAM's exhibit. The blog was scrubbed from the Internet in China and has recently been translated into English and published by MIT press. I would also like to focus on other contemporary artists in China who have been suppressed in the recent crackdown. Perhaps Art City could be a location for expert voices and critics on the state of creative expression in China this summer. I'd be grateful for your thoughts on the subject.

About Mary Louise Schumacher

Mary Louise Schumacher is the Journal Sentinel's art and architecture critic. She writes about culture, design, the urban landscape and Milwaukee's creative community. Art City is her award-winning cultural page and a community of more than 20 contributing writers and artists. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

E-mail Newsletter

Keep up with the art scene and trends in urban design with art and architecture critic Mary Louise Schumacher. Every week, you'll get the latest reviews, musings on architecture and her picks for what to do on the weekends.